Eyes Like Mine
by Spunky0ne
Summary: Kisuke makes a terrible sacrifice to protect a pregnant Tetsuya, and is left with only a few months to live. Amidst learning that his dearest friend and mentor is dying, a devastated Ichigo discovers that he is Urahara Kisuke's unfulfilled dream. Urahara/Ichigo, Byakuya/Renji/Tetsuya, yaoi, mpreg.
1. Fruitless Vine

**Eyes Like Mine**

**By Spunky0ne**

**An Urahara/Ichigo and Byakuya/Renji/Tetsuya story.**

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**Dedicated to 'Jodi' who loves Urahara/Ichigo!**

**(For other stories of mine that feature this pairing, see **_**Mirror Flower, Water Moon**_**, **_**Withering Vine**_** and **_**White Tower**_**! And yes, updates are coming! I am working hard to get a few done this weekend. Enjoy this whilst you wait for those!)**

**Warning: This is a yaoi and mpreg story. If you don't like, don't read.**

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**Chapter 1: Fruitless Vine**

"Where is he?!" Ichigo cried, bursting into the heavily damaged gardens at Kuchiki Manor.

"This way!" a battered Rukia said, hastily grabbing her friend's hand and guiding him to the central gardens, which had been converted into a makeshift triage center.

"Oh my god..." Ichigo breathed, spotting a noticeably pregnant Kuchiki Tetsuya, leaning over a man's collapsed form and infusing him with a pale blue reiatsu,

"Kisuke..."

He rushed to where Byakuya and Renji knelt on either side of their pregnant spouse, watching as Tetsuya and the clan healer worked desperately to save the shopkeeper's life.

"What happened?" Ichigo asked, ignoring his own hurts and focusing his attention on his gravely wounded mentor.

"The quincies that were left after you defeated Juha Bach attacked the manor," Tetsuya explained in a shaken voice.

"One of them captured Tetsuya," Byakuya went on, "and he threatened to kill him unless the rest of us surrendered."

"Kisuke came outta nowhere," Renji panted, wiping a stream of blood away from his face, "He got Tetsuya away from the bastard and yelled for him to run."

"The quincy cast a shower of poisoned quills at me," Tetsuya went on, his voice trembling and tears filling his blue eyes, "and Urahara-san threw himself between us! And now, we can't stop the poison from the quills. I can slow it, but I cannot stop it!"

"What?" Ichigo managed dazedly, "Kisuke is...?"

"He is dying," Byakuya said solemnly, glancing down at the fallen shinigami, "Tetsuya can only infuse him three times a day."

"A-at that r-rate," Kisuke panted, shocking Ichigo as his glazed eyes opened and met the Shiba heir's, "I have...'bout three months, g-give or take a few d-days."

"He is as stable as we can make him now, Byakuya-sama," the healer said quietly, "We should take him to the shelter."

"Arashi," Tetsuya intoned softly, watching as the injured stallion limped towards them.

Tetsuya stumbled to his feet, placing a hand on his slightly rounded abdomen and swallowing hard against the swell of dizziness.

"There, now," Byakuya said in a gentle voice, wrapping a bracing arm around his exhausted and teary cousin, "You have pushed yourself hard enough, Tetsuya."

The clan leader met Renji's eyes.

"Renji, will you make sure that Urahara Kisuke is made comfortable and well guarded? I am going to take Tetsuya to wash up and get something to eat."

"Sure," Renji said, nodding and meeting their spouse's damp eyes, "Hey, it's gonna be okay, all right?"

"B-but it's my fault that he..."

"It wasn't your fault," Byakuya insisted, lifting Tetsuya off his feet and turning away from the scene of destruction behind them, "We were all fighting to survive. Kisuke saw you in trouble, and he acted to protect you of his own free will."

"He's right," Renji agreed, "You didn't do anything wrong."

"B-but, you know he only took that risk...only sacrificed himself...b-because of the baby!" Tetsuya half sobbed, "He took the poison on himself because he knew that the baby couldn't have survived it! If I hadn't..."

"Shh," Byakuya said, kissing the younger noble to quiet him, "Don't think on that, Tetsuya. Just try to remain calm. The stress is not good for our child."

"I know," Tetsuya said softly, "I am just...so sorry! I shouldn't have left the barrier. But that quincy..."

"You kept him from striking Renji and me from behind," Byakuya remembered.

"I couldn't just watch you and Renji die!"

"We understand," Renji said soothingly, turning as the clan healer and Ichigo finished loading the barely conscious shopkeeper onto a small cart pulled by Tetsuya's stallion, "Go on, now. Let Byakuya take care of you. I'll stay with Kisuke and the healer until it's time for the next infusion."

"Me too," added Ichigo, moving with Renji to follow the cart, "He's gonna be okay, Tetsuya. Take care of yourself and your baby now."

Tetsuya nodded wordlessly and buried his face in Byakuya's shoulder as the clan leader carried him into the one still standing portion of the manor.

Ichigo fell in at Renji's side, the two guarding the cart as Arashi pulled it slowly in the direction of the family shelter.

"Tetsuya's pretty torn up," the Shiba heir mused, "It must've been hell here."

"Yeah," Renji said, looking down at Kisuke's dirty and discomfited face, "When they sensed that Bach was dead, they went crazy. It's like they went into berserker mode or something. They were killing anyone they could find."

Renji's lips stiffened for a moment before he could continue.

"Orihime was hit with some weird attack that knocked her out and they can't wake her up. Chad was injured, protecting her and me, Rukia and Byakuya took damage holding them off the shelter, where the women, children and injured men from the family were being protected. That's when we nearly got blindsided and Tetsuya had to come out of the protected area to defend us. Everything just went haywire, then. We were all just desperate to survive. And Kisuke saw that Tetsuya and the baby were threatened."

The redhead swallowed hard, then continued.

"He's the reason we were able to reawaken Tetsuya's breeder ability. He was helping us every step of the way through the pregnancy. I think Kisuke was as excited about the baby as the three of us were."

"Damn..." Ichigo sighed, shaking his head, "I should have killed the son of a bitch, Bach, faster!"

"We all did what we could, baka," Renji scolded him, half-heartedly, "Sometimes shit just happens, you know?"

"But it's not right," Ichigo sighed, shaking his head, "Of all the people I know, he did the most to get us through the quincy war. He counteracted the bankai-stealing medallions and helped the Arrancars fight back against the quincies. And he's the reason Uryu's still alive...that he was able to escape Bach's influence. We would've lost a good friend...many good friends, if not for him!"

"I know," Renji agreed, "And that's why we're not giving up. Tetsuya's gonna infuse him with his power. He can hold off the poison for a few months. And by then, Orihime will be awake and able to help him. Although, I don't really know about her waking up, though," Renji said, looking away for a moment, "She's in really bad shape, Ichigo."

Ichigo let out a strained breath and closed his eyes against the words.

"I'm not gonna think about that," he resolved, "Orihime's gonna wake up and she'll heal him."

Renji sighed and watched sadly as Ichigo moved forward to Kisuke's side. Kisuke stirred sluggishly and looked up at the Shiba heir, admiring his bright ginger hair and the markings of battle that still marked his skin.

"You did good," he managed softly, making Ichigo's head turn, "You made things right again."

"Yeah, well, I had a lot of help. I couldn't have done it without you, you know?"

"I don't know about that..."

"Well, I do," Ichigo stated firmly, "You saved me when Byakuya almost killed me. You helped me to develop my shinigami powers and trained me and my friends to battle Aizen, the bounts and the quincies. I wouldn't still be alive if not for you."

"Heh," chuckled the shopkeeper, "But you're leaving out some things...like how I experimented with hollowfication and how I used Rukia to hide the hougyoku."

"Don't worry about all of that," Ichigo chided him, "It's water under the bridge. It's not important anymore. There are more important things to think about...like not giving up. The times I've been close to dying, it was my will to live that brought me through. You have to keep trying to live."

"Yeah, I get that," Kisuke said, chuckling again as Arashi slowed and stopped at the entrance to a set of caves that were serving as the Kuchiki family's shelter.

Ichigo and Renji moved forward, helping the healer and an attendant to lift the injured shopkeeper from the small cart. Kisuke gasped as he was moved, pain flashing across his features as he was carried into the shelter and laid in bed.

"Ichigo!" cried a feminine voice.

"Orihime!" Ichigo called back, grinning as the human girl limped to Kisuke's side and fell to her knees.

"Inoue-san!" a younger healer exclaimed, "You've just awakened! You cannot be about when you were so recently healed."

"I have to help him!" the girl exclaimed, summoning her power and watching as a golden oval-shaped shield formed over Kisuke's body.

"It's not gonna work," Kisuke whispered in a gravely voice.

"What?" Ichigo mused, "What are you talking about. It's gonna be fine."

"You don't understand," the shopkeeper went on, looking unsurprised as a look of distress overtook Orihime's pretty face, and the oval shield began to crack and break apart, "Y-you remember when you fought Ulquiorra, Ichigo?"

"Yeah, why?"

Orihime's eyes widened.

"I couldn't heal you!" she exclaimed, "I wasn't what saved you that time."

"The reiatsu he wielded was too strong, too disruptive," Kisuke concluded, "These quincies, even the ones left that attacked here were wicked-strong. Their reiatsu is resistant to Orihime's power."

He sighed and closed his eyes as the human girl's power faded and Orihime dissolved into tears.

"She can't heal me, Ichigo. No one can. It's over. J-just a matter of time."

Ichigo started to object, but was stopped by the looks in the clan healers' eyes.

"You see, they get it," Kisuke said weakly, "You need to get it too, Ichigo. You need to just make peace with it."

Ichigo turned to the others in the room.

"Are you done with him for now?"

"Hai, Shiba-sama," the elder healer said, nodding, "We will bring Tetsuya-san later to infuse him."

Renji wrapped an arm around Orihime and led her out of the room. The healers exchanged unhappy glances and followed, leaving Ichigo alone with his mentor.

"What are you gonna do?" Kisuke rasped softly, "Stay here to the end?"

"I'm always there for my friends," Ichigo said, sitting down at his side, "Just tell me what you need and I'll get it for you...anything."

"Can you let me say I'm sorry?" Kisuke asked, closing his eyes.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for," Ichigo replied firmly, "All the bad stuff's in the past. Let's leave it there, okay?"

"Okay."

Ichigo sat down next to the bed and brought a cup of water to the shopkeeper's lips, watching quietly as Kisuke took several sips.

"You know, it's funny," the shopkeeper commented, looking down at his hands, "how even when every part of you knows that the end is coming, you still go on doing the same things...waking up, eating, drinking, talking, all that...and then going to sleep again. It's strange how normal I feel."

"Except for the pain," Ichigo whispered, his eyes tragically sad.

"Except for that," Kisuke agreed.

"You need a pain block?" the younger man asked.

"Naw, I'm okay."

"You don't have to tough it out. You should be comfortable."

"I'm fine, really," Kisuke insisted, "Besides, having pain makes me feel like I'm still fighting to stay alive. And even though I know in my head, there's not going to be a way out, I want there to be one."

"Yeah," Ichigo said more softly.

He thought quietly for a while, as Kisuke took a few bites of food from the tray that had been left for him.

"Kisuke?"

"Hmmm?"

"What's the one thing that would make you fight the hardest?"

The shopkeeper observed him quietly as he sipped again at his water.

"I dunno," Kisuke answered, "I'd have to think about it. I have lots of things to live for."

_But there's only one thing you chose to die for..._

Ichigo watched silently as Kisuke's gray eyes closed, and he drifted into a restless sleep. He slipped a hand into the shopkeeper's and spoke very softly to soothe him into a deeper sleep. Before long, he was blinking and yawning, himself. Loathe to leave his friend's side, the Shiba heir simply let his face rest on his arms on the edge of the bed. In moments, he was asleep.

_Ichigo felt something soft touch his face and opened his eyes to find a red soul ribbon fluttering near him. He sat up, stretched and gazed at it, following its path with his eyes and feeling familiarity at its touch._

_"Kisuke?" he whispered, taking off in a flash step and following the pretty red strand._

_The air went dark around him, and for a time, he couldn't see anything but that red ribbon, moving softly and guiding him along. He continued in his path until the air around him brightened again, and he flash stepped down into a windswept, rainy world, filled with powerful, creative reiatsu._

_"This seems like a place I'd find you," Ichigo said softly, looking around at the mountains of reiatsu and a scattering of things that looked like works in progress. One project seemed to include several bulbous beakers filled with colorful fluid. Another area displayed a complicated looking machine that buzzed and whirred busily. Oddly colored and shaped plants grew in one area and a field of silver, ringing bells grew in another._

_"Ichigo?" said a sleepy voice._

_The younger man sensed the direction and followed the voice to where Kisuke knelt at the side of a clear, blue lake, looking into the water. Ichigo made a sound of surprise as he spotted images on the water's surface._

_The scene was beautiful, both for its content and for its simplicity. Kisuke stood, uninjured and smiling, his arms around Ichigo and rubbing his rounded belly gently._

_"Are you happy?" the image of him asked the shopkeeper._

_"I can't imagine being happier," the image of Kisuke answered, meeting Ichigo's image for a long, deep kiss, "You're beautiful. I've never seen anything more beautiful, not in all my years."_

Ichigo sat up suddenly, his heart pounding and his eyes rounded. He blinked and turned his head to look at Kisuke.

"Sumimasen," Tetsuya's soft voice said from the doorway, distracting him, "My apologies for disturbing you, Ichigo-san, but I am here to infuse Urahara-san with my reiatsu to slow the poison."

"Right," Ichigo said, starting to rise, "I'll just..."

"You don't have to leave," the noble said, laying a staying hand on the Shiba heir's shoulder, "In fact, I sense a peacefulness in him that seems to center on you. Please, stay."

"Y-yeah, okay," Ichigo stammered, sitting back down and watching as Tetsuya moved to Kisuke's other side and sat down in a chair beside the bed.

Tetsuya extended his hands, laying them gently on Kisuke's forehead and chest, then he sent a slow flow of glowing blue reiatsu seeping into the other man's body. For a time, all was still in the room, except for the movement of that reiatsu as it joined with Kisuke's and made a look of relief rise on his sleeping face. Kisuke smiled without opening his eyes, and one shaky hand rose and came to rest on Tetsuya's rounded belly.

"You eatin' enough and gettin' your rest?" Kisuke mumbled dazedly.

"I am doing just fine," Tetsuya assured him, caressing his face for a moment and soothing him towards sleep again, "The baby and I are both fine, thanks to you."

"G-good," whispered the shopkeeper, his voice fading, "Then...everything's...okay."

Tetsuya's eyes closed and his expression became tormented as Kisuke drifted off to sleep again.

"It's okay," Ichigo said softly, startling the other young man into looking up at him.

"How can you say that?" Tetsuya asked brokenly, "He made a terrible sacrifice, and it burdens my heart to know what I've cost him."

"Hey," Ichigo said, taking Tetsuya's warm, soft hand and caressing it lightly, "You know what your baby means to him, ne? It's like he's been living a little bit through you and this baby for a while now."

"I've known for some time that he wanted a family of his own."

"Well, he has Tessai and Jinta and Ururu," said Ichigo.

"You know what I mean," Tetsuya said, meeting Ichigo's eyes squarely, "You _saw_ it too, didn't you? While you were sleeping at his side?"

"Wh-what?" Ichigo mused, his eyes widening.

"You know that he always wished that he could make that family with you, Ichigo."

"W-with me? How do you...?"

"The process of preparing my body for this endeavor brought me close to his soul," Tetsuya explained, "and while connected with him, I saw an image of him on the water."

"It was me!" Ichigo said breathlessly, "All this time...he's been in love with _me_!"

"All of this time," Tetsuya went on, "Urahara-san has been helping us to have our baby, inside, he has been reassuring himself it was possible for you, too. I think that, given a successful birth on my part, he would have considered the process safe enough that he might finally have told you what was in his heart...and confessed his love to you!"

_Kisuke is in love with me?_

_He dreams of marrying me and...?_

_He wanted us to make a child together?_

Ichigo's eyes closed and a large tear escaped and rolled down his face.

_I'm sorry._

_How could I be so stupid that I couldn't see?_


	2. The Chill

**Chapter 2: The Chill**

**(The first in a little hailstorm of celebration for NamineLily's birthday this week! More is on the way! Thanks so much to Cerucci (Aw, don't cry! I'm sure Ichi and Kisuke will find their miracle before the end! :) So glad the story touched your heart strings.), BunnyHopster26 (There will be lots of tender, sweet moments with Tetsuya and his husbands, as well as the cuteness of a developing romance for Ichi and Kisuke. Amidst the chaos of war and the threat of losing a life, love will still manage to be a driving force!), NamineLily (Aww, thanks! I do my best!), MissLilly2012 (Ah yes, tender and fluffy with a side of bittersweet!), Kami-no-Namida (Not to worry! This lovely couple is in safe hands with Spunky!), Ookami no Kurayami (I think I'll need tissues whichever way this goes, but I'm a little moody today!), dragonprincess01 (Not to worry! I will be writing swiftly!), kyuumihaira (Heehee! Ichigo's going to be a little confused and the fact he's a virgin will make him a little shy about things, but you know Ichigo! He'll come around!), irritatedbookworm (Heehee! I made use of something you mentioned in your notes regarding Red Samurai. Pregnant Tetsuya's going to be awfully cute! And yes, Ichigo is not quite ready for this, but really, who ever is!), Mina Kye (All right! As soon as my veeeeeeeeeeeeeeery long full time stint at work ends, I will make it my personal mission to drown us in Urahara/Ichi and Bya/Ren/Tetsuya! Oh, I really freaking HATE working full time!), Missy QueenBee (I will keep those chapters rolling!), CallMeSenseiKuchiki (Tough thing is, Kisuke usually does the saving and now needs his own miracle. Hmmm, I wonder who can give him that?), snowflowersister of toshiro241 (Yeah, I just rediscovered how much I love that guy!) Enjoy your birthday, NamineLily! And hope you all like the new chapter! Love, Spunky)**

"Hey, fleabag!" Renji's voice growled from somewhere outside the small cave Kisuke laid in, making Ichigo blink and look up in surprise, "Get off, will you? This isn't for you, you overgrown bag of bones! It's for Tetsuya. Damn, what's your problem?"

"Oi, Renji, you wanna keep it down a little?" the Shiba heir called back, "You're gonna wake up Kisuke. He's tryin' to rest."

"Sorry," the redhead said sheepishly, "That stupid horse won't leave me alone. Not that he ever did, but I've gotta get this to Tetsuya, pronto."

"Wh-what is that?" Ichigo asked, frowning at the parcel Renji was carrying, "Is that ice cream?"

"Yeah, well, chocolate fudge ice cream cake. Had to go to the living world for it, too. Can't get this in what's left of the Seireitei."

"But, uh...it's like forty degrees and raining like hell out there. Who eats ice cream when it's this damned cold?"

"Heh," Renji chuckled, his eyes growing affectionate, "Tetsuya's got cravings for icy cold sweets. He can't seem to get enough of them. And being a part of Tetsuya's soul, Arashi's doing the same thing, just not nearly as cutely."

"Oh, I don't know," Ichigo said, looking out at the stallion as he dropped to the ground and began rolling around in the sopping grass and mud outside the caves, "He's kinda cute too."

"Yeah, well, Tetsuya's freaking adorable. And the pheromones around him are so strong we can't keep our hands off of each other. He's uh, got cravings for _that_ too!"

"Eh," Ichigo said, scratching the back of his neck absently, "Does that mean Arashi's...?"

"Huh," Renji huffed, rolling his eyes, "He's got his damned nose up Byakuya's stallion, Ikazuchi's ass about every five minutes...although Ikazuchi doesn't seem to mind too much."

"R-right."

"I just hope ol' fleabag doesn't share Tetsuya's breeder ability, because if he does, we're gonna have a mess of little fleabags everywhere!"

Ichigo laughed in spite of himself, making Kisuke stir and open his eyes.

"Something funny?" he asked sleepily.

"Oh, Renji was just telling me that Arashi's got a thing for Ikazuchi now.

Kisuke gave a soft chuckle, then winced and groaned.

"Stop it, okay?" Ichigo chided him, slipping a hand into the shopkeeper's an giving it a squeeze, "The clan healer just got you put back together. We don't need you busting your stitches or anything."

"S-sorry, just thought it was funny, because you know, Arashi's probably already carrying, if you know what I mean."

"What? Really?" Ichigo said, looking amused.

"Yeah, You remember that Arashi emerged from Tetsuya's body in the first place. He's really just an extension of Tetsuya's soul. So...it stands to reason that if Tetsuya dies, he dies...and if Tetsuya's body changes to carry a child..."

He paused, biting back another groan.

"Hey, stop it," Ichigo said reprovingly.

"Why? It's just a little pain. It means I'm still here," Kisuke surmised.

"Yeah?" said Renji, "Well, if I don't get a move on, this ice cream cake's not going to be here."

"You don't think that's actually going to melt in this cold, do you?" Ichigo joked.

"Naw, I just meant if I stand here with it any longer, ol' fleabag's gonna come over here and fight me for it!" Renji quipped, making Kisuke laugh and groan again.

"Get out of here, will you?" Ichigo snapped jokingly, swatting at the redhead.

"Hey, take care, Kisuke," Renji said, taking his leave of them.

"I will," the shopkeeper answered, closing his eyes.

Ichigo didn't miss that fact that Kisuke continued to hold on to his hand. He sat quietly, caught up in his thoughts, for several long minutes.

"Hey, Kisuke, you awake?"

"Mhmm?"

"Your hand feels cold. Are you sure you're warm enough?"

"I'm all right," Kisuke assured him, "though I do think it'd be pretty handy to be like Tetsuya right about now. He feels the cold, but can't be affected by exposure to it like the rest of us can."

"Which explains why he can eat ice cream cake in the freezing cold, ne?"

"Yeah."

The ginger-haired youth went silent for a time, listening to the steady pounding of the rain and low rumble of thunder.

"Ichigo?"

"Yeah?"

"Your hand is cold too. And you've been here for hours. It's late. You should go and get some rest."

"Naw, I'm fine. I'm not tired," Ichigo lied, biting his lips so he wouldn't yawn.

"Are you kidding me? I can feel your reiatsu drooping."

"Is that right?" Ichigo chuckled, "Well, the truth is, there was a shortage on blankets. They're trying to get some from the living world, but there's some problem with making sure we don't bring in too much stuff from there at once and disturb the balance of things. Anyway, it's not as cold in here as it is in my quarters."

"You could go back to Shiba Manor," Kisuke suggested.

"No, not really," Ichigo chuckled sadly, "It's in the same shape Kuchiki Manor's in. Besides, I'm fine here."

"You don't have to feel obligated to stay, you know."

"Well, I don't, so knock off trying to get me to leave, okay? You're gonna make me feel unloved or something."

Ichigo flinched inwardly at the quickly concealed flash of regret the words brought to the shopkeeper's shadowed eyes.

"That's not going to happen."

"I know," Ichigo said, caressing the hand he held, "I was just kidding, okay?"

"Okay."

Kisuke's eyes closed again and he went quiet. Ichigo studied his calm sleeping face, looking for signs of discomfort. When he was reasonably sure the other man slept, he slipped his hand free and observe Kisuke silently for a while, then leaned forward, closing his eyes and remembering.

_There was this thing he did when I was hurt and the pain blocks couldn't kill the pain...some kind of use of his reiatsu that felt real soothing..._

_I suck at this kind of thing, but..._

He focused carefully, letting out his breath slowly and trying to sense the painful areas. A soft sound of surprise and approval escaped him as he picked up several flickers of palpable discomfort. He clamped down on his reiatsu and tried to imagine it being as soft as sakura petals. It took several tries before he nervously made his hands touch the shopkeeper and he began to lightly infuse and caress the uncomfortable areas. Almost immediately, Kisuke made a sleepy sound of relief and his body seemed to relax.

"F-feels good," the shopkeeper said without opening his eyes.

"Yeah?" Ichigo chuckled, smiling anxiously, "I wasn't sure I could do it."

"You're doing that pretty well, for not being taught properly."

"Am I?"

"Yeah, but your hands are like ice."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. It's worth it to have the pain go away for a while."

The ginger-haired youth continued the infusion and gentle massage, looking up as Tetsuya entered the cave and provided another treatment to slow the poison.

"Hey, Tetsuya," Ichigo greeted him.

"Ichigo-san," Tetsuya replied, settling down next to the shopkeeper and beginning the infusion, "Have you been here all night?"

"Yeah, I didn't have anything better to do."

"And since you donated your blankets as we did, your chambers are probably uncomfortably cold, ne?"

"Yeah," Ichigo confessed, "I sure hope they can get some supplies in soon, or that this storm ends or, you know..."

"I, myself, am not so bothered by the chill, but Byakuya-sama and Renji-san have been suffering. They are being quite silly, though. They insist on still sleeping next to me, even though they know that my body temperature is affected by the cold, and though it doesn't bother me, it can make it uncomfortable to lie next to me."

Ichigo giggled softly at the thought.

"They really must love you," he said, smiling.

"Fools," Tetsuya said dismissively, "They could sleep in another chamber and keep each other warm if they weren't obsessed with being so protective of me. Well, hopefully, it will get warmer before those two freeze to death snuggling up to me."

"Aw, I don't think they care at all about that," Ichigo mused, "They're just so happy you're having their kid. You look real happy too. And to be able to feel happy when everything's been shot to hell is a pretty good thing."

"Yes," Tetsuya sighed, "it is something to brighten things, even in the worst of times. That love, that new life can go on from the ashes of war is a comforting thing, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed, sinking into his thoughts again as Tetsuya finished the infusion, then gently removed Kisuke's hand from where it had drifted to touch his baby bump.

His thoughts continued on troubled paths, even as the area grew quiet and even the rain seemed to calm to a whisper. The cold wrapped around him, making him shiver and wrap his arms around his body, trying to keep the heat in. He tucked the blankets carefully around the shopkeeper, then touched his face gently to feel for fever.

"Ichigo, you're freezing," Kisuke mumbled.

"I'm fine."

"You should get under the blankets. We can share body warmth."

"I'll be okay."

"No, I mean you're going to shock me to death with those icy hands if you don't warm them up."

"Oh," the ginger-haired youth said sheepishly, "Sorry."

"It's okay."

Ichigo looked down at the injured shopkeeper, his heart pounding strangely in his chest and a shiver that had nothing to do with the cold, passed through him.

"You know, maybe I should get in and warm up a little. Wouldn't want to freeze you or anything."

"Sounds good," Kisuke mumbled, shifting slightly and lifting the blanket.

Ichigo swallowed hard, then slid in under the covers, apologizing as the chill on his body made the other man quiver and tighten his jaw.

"Sorry!"

"It's okay. It'll just take a minute or two for my warmth to warm you up too."

Ichigo gave a shuddering sigh of relief as the heavy chill faded and Kisuke's warmth seeped into him. The shopkeeper's arm curled around his waist and he pressed up against the Shiba heir's back, smiling.

"That's better than being out there freezing, ne?" Kisuke chuckled.

"For me, maybe, but I think I about froze your ass off, getting in with you like this."

"I've got no problem with it," Kisuke laughed, "And once you're warmed up, it'll be good for both of us, won't it?"

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed, blushing.

_Damn, I wonder if he can feel how fast my heart is beating..._

_He smells good..._

"Hey, you mind helping me roll onto my back?" Kisuke asked, startling him out of his thoughts.

"Oh, sure. No problem," Ichigo said hastily, turning and easing the other man onto his back.

He remained sitting up for a moment.

_Do I...? Does he want me to...?_

Keeping his eyes fixed on Kisuke's, Ichigo slid back down onto the bed, laying his body along the other man's side.

"You can lie down more on my chest," Kisuke offered, "You'll stay warmer."

"You sure I won't hurt you?"

"Yeah. The pain block's working pretty well now. Go ahead."

"Ah...okay, if you're sure it won't hurt."

"It's fine," Kisuke assured him, looking amused, "I'll give a yelp if you hurt me."

"R-right," Ichigo said, flushing more brightly as he settled onto Kisuke's chest.

_Oh! His heart's beating pretty fast too, _he realized suddenly.

"Eh, this is a better position for me to soothe the painful spots from too," he added, tucking his face into the shopkeeper's shoulder.

Almost immediately, the shopkeeper's warm scent drifted over his senses, causing a reaction in the younger man's loins. Ichigo blushed harder, trying to keep his breathing slow, even though his heart continued to skip and race fitfully. A moment later, he felt a gentle pressure against his thigh.

_Huh, he's reacting to me too,_ Ichigo thought, finding himself smiling.

He let one hand move from place to place on the resting shopkeeper's body, soothing the flickers of pain. Kisuke breathed steadily, relaxing more with the gentle caresses.

"You look better since Tetsuya was in here," Ichigo commented, meeting the other man's eyes in the darkness.

"The infusion did help," Kisuke agreed, "but that healing technique you're using is really what's helping more."

"Really?" Ichigo mused, "But I suck at this. Imagine what a good healer could do if he got into bed with you."

Kisuke let out a laugh as Ichigo flushed brightly and tried to recover himself.

"Oh, damn it! Just ignore me. I don't know what the hell I'm saying."

"It's fine," Kisuke snickered, "It's good to have something to laugh about."

"I thought laughing hurt," Ichigo objected.

"Every fucking thing hurts," Kisuke sighed, rubbing the Shiba heir's back and closing his eyes again, "Don't worry about it. I'm still here. Let's let that be enough, okay?"

"Whatever you say," Ichigo said, burying his face in the shopkeeper's shoulder again, "But you should really get some more rest. Before you know it, Tetsuya will be back in here to give you another infusion."

"Tetsuya's a good kid. He's got a good heart," Kisuke yawned, "He's been real helpful with my research too. I figured out how his body changes because of that breeder gene he carries."

"Sounds interesting."

"It's pretty damned profound for a discovery because it appears that gene can be manipulated in other males too. That's something we didn't know before."

"S-so, you could help another guy get pregnant...if...if he wanted to?" Ichigo asked.

"Why? You wanna give the Shiba clan that heir they keep bugging you about? You know, you could just pick one of those girls they've been throwing at you lately."

"This isn't the time to be thinking about stuff like that," Ichigo chided him, "The war's just ended and we're picking up the mess it left. We shouldn't be thinking about making more babies when we hardly have what we need to take care of the ones already here."

"Ah, you're probably right," the shopkeeper sighed, "I just can't help feeling hopeful when I see Tetsuya. That there's that kind of happiness in him makes me feel happy too."

Kisuke yawned again and squeezed Ichigo's hand.

"Anyway, if you do pick a guy to have a baby with, just give me a yell and I'll help you or him with that, okay?"

"You're still healing, stupid," Ichigo said, off-handedly, "No one's making any babies while you're like this."

"Well, if you want my help, you should ask soon. I don't have forever, you know."

"Kisuke..."

"Sorry, just being straightforward. That's the truth of things."

"You don't know that, for sure."

"Ichigo, you need to face the facts. I know you're looking at the bright side and trying to stay hopeful, but I know how things really are, here. You need to deal with the fact that I'm dying."

"I'm sorry. I can't do that."

"Well," Kisuke said, matter-of-factly, "That's the way things are. You can't change it by sheer force of will."

"Well, you sure as hell never cured anything by giving up!" the younger man said in a flustered tone, "Come on! If there's anyone who can find an answer, then you can. But you need to believe the answer is there. That's what you've said every other time when the shit hit the fan and someone needed a miracle. Why is this any different?"

"W-well...I guess...when it comes right down to it, it's not," Kisuke confessed, "But the odds are stacked up pretty heavily against it."

"So, that's happened before," Ichigo said firmly, "You know, I think all you need is something to, not just make you feel positive you want to survive, you need a reason to stay...a really big reason."

"I've got plenty of..."

"No, I mean...a reason like this," Ichigo answered, stunning the other man with a long, heart-melting kiss.


	3. Love Bonds

**Chapter 3: Love Bonds**

**(I went between laughing and crying with this one. It's such a bittersweet little fic. I am loving it! Thanks so much to everyone reading and reviewing. You're the best! Love, Spunky)**

"Stop it, will you?" Kisuke complained, pushing Ichigo away and turning his head aside.

"Why should I?" Ichigo asked, resting his head on the shopkeeper's breast and feeling the fast beating of his heart, "C'mon, we've both been thinking about it for a long time."

"What are you talking about?" Kisuke sighed, "Ichigo, kissing me's the last thing that's been on your mind recently. You've been completely occupied with the war. And that's as it should be, you know? You being the only one who's bankai wasn't stolen, then our best fighter against Bach and his sternritters."

"Hey, you were pretty damned instrumental in the war too."

"Which just goes to show that you're spouting bullshit if you say you've been thinking about you and me like that. And I don't know why Tetsuya told you. He had to be the one, right?"

"No," Ichigo said firmly, "Actually, he only confirmed something that I saw anyway."

"S-something you saw?"

"I think I was in your inner world," Ichigo confessed, "It was rainy and there were weird experiments going on everywhere, and a lake."

"What?"

"I _saw_ you there, looking down into the water, and what was in the water."

Kisuke kept his head turned away and shook it gently in reproach.

"What's in my head is private," he said sternly, "Just because you saw it doesn't mean..."

"Kisuke?" Ichigo queried softly, "Are you...really telling me that just because I was too stupid to get it soon enough, you won't believe me when I tell you I..."

"Stop, okay?" the shopkeeper pleaded more softly, "Because you know if go on, I'm not going to be able to say no to you. And we'll start something that's only going to get us both hurt. I know what you're doing, Ichigo, and believe me, I love you for it. But I can't let you do it. I can't let you pretend you love me, just because I'm dying."

"That's not..."

"We both know it is."

"No, it's not. I swear it's not," Ichigo insisted, "It's like I said before. Yeah, maybe it's true that I was just slow, stupid. I didn't get it before. But I had that...that dream, that vision of us, and then Tetsuya came in and said that he'd seen it too. And after that, it was all I could think about...how long you'd been looking at me with those eyes and wanting me. And I was...so dumb! I was...walking around and feeling lonely, wondering if I would ever know what love feels like. And you were right in front of me. I just..."

"Hey," Kisuke said, turning and sitting up, then taking Ichigo's hands in his, "It's really okay. It's not bad that it took you some time to think that maybe we had some potetial, and I am _really, really_ flattered that you could see yourself with me. But I can't let you throw a part of your heart away, wasting it on someone who's not going to be there for you. You're not thinking straight. You haven't thought this through at all. But...you're barely more than a kid, so I guess being impetuous just comes with the territory."

"Then, if you know that," Ichigo said, taking the other man's face gently in his hands, "Just let me be myself. Let me do what my heart tells me to do and you do what your heart tells you to do."

"Huh," Kisuke huffed softly, "My _heart_ is telling me not to fuck with your head by making you fall in love with me, then forcing you to watch that love die. Ichigo, you're too young to..."

"To lose someone I love?" Ichigo asked, arching an eyebrow, "I lost my mom when I was six, Kisuke. But even if we'd known she was gonna die, I know she wouldn't have asked me to love her any less."

"Come on!" Kisuke pleaded, his eyes clouding warningly, "Ichigo, do you really wanna go _there_? And before you answer, why don't you ask Byakuya what that's like, because I don't think he's going to recommend it to you! He was _wrecked_ when he lost Hisana-san! You saw some of the grief that he went through. He's only now coming out of that big, long, dark tunnel he went into back then, and you want to run in there with both guns blazing. I'm telling you, it's not worth it!"

"Is that what you think Byakuya would tell me?" Ichigo snapped, a tear rolling onto one flushed cheek, cause I don't think he'd ever say that he regretted loving his wife that much! We don't always get to choose the way things happen. Life's a crap shoot sometimes, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't take a shot at all."

"I'm just telling you that you shouldn't be so heedless about it, all right?" Kisuke shouted, wincing as the tension in his body sent flickers of pain through him.

"And I'm telling you not to be so afraid to have hope, just because it looks like we're gonna lose each other! You could be okay..."

"It's not gonna happen like that..."

"You don't know that!"

"Look at what's in front of you, Ichigo, please!" Kisuke pleaded, "Don't...do this! You're going to get really, really hurt."

"Then, it's my choice to get really, really hurt," Ichigo sighed, sinking into Kisuke's surprised arms, "Because even that is better than watching you die and never having given us a chance!"

"Ichigo!"

"Please," Ichigo sobbed softly into his shoulder, "don't push me away. I can deal with it if you die in the end, but I can't deal with you dying and not knowing how I feel about you!"

"Stupid kid," Kisuke huffed, tears coming to his eyes as he wiped Ichigo's away, "You don't even know how you feel about anything half the time!"

"I know how I feel right now," Ichigo whispered, nuzzling the shopkeeper's cheek, "I just want to be close to you. Even if you don't want me as a lover, can I just stay here with you? Let me take care of you."

"Now, you know that's a waste of time," Kisuke chided him.

"None of the time I spend with you is wasted," Ichigo sighed, closing his eyes and nuzzling closer, "Now who's spouting bullshit. I think you just wanna drive me away from you to protect me. But that's not gonna protect me anyway."

"So, what do you want me to do?" Kisuke asked wearily, "It seems like no matter what I do, your going to get hurt. And I don't want that."

"Then, if I get hurt, you can comfort me."

"I can't comfort you if I hurt you by dying on you!"

"Then, don't die," Ichigo said, holding him tightly.

"You know I can't promise you that."

"Yeah, well, I can't promise you that either, so we're even," the ginger-haired man concluded, "I could die tomorrow."

Kisuke gave him a surprised look and went quiet.

"I've already almost died a bunch of times. But, I'm still here right now. And right now, I feel like holding you and being close to you. And even if you hadn't been hurt, we'd have no guarantees who'll die when and who'll get left behind. So, stop trying to protect me, okay? It's no use. We might as well just do what we want and pay the consequences. We don't know how things will play out anyway."

"Huh...I guess you're right," Kisuke said, frowning and shaking his head.

"So, are you gonna kiss me some more?" Ichigo asked, his lips curving upward hopefully.

"Well...I guess that'd be all right," the shopkeeper said, meeting his lips warmly

The first few kisses were gentler, more tentative. But as the moments passed, their exchange grew more passionate and Ichigo parted his lips invitingly as was rewarded with the entrance of the other man's tongue into his offered mouth. Ichigo held on tightly to Kisuke, stroking the shopkeeper's tongue with his and shifting so that they could feel the heat and pressure of each other's growing arousals.

Neither noticed at first, when Tetsuya appeared at the doorway and paused, blushing and not wanting to interrupt, but concern showing on his face as he considered the importance of completing the infusion on time.

"Ahem..."

"Oh! Sorry!" Ichigo said, pulling away from Kisuke, then flushing as he realized that his bulging erection was beyond being hidden, "Erm..."

"It's all right," Tetsuya laughed softly, "I wouldn't have interrupted you, but we have to keep giving Urahara-san his infusions on time."

"Lie back down," Kisuke chuckled, breathing his next words into Ichigo's blushing ear, "It'll be less obvious that way."

"Shut up!" Ichigo snapped, falling back into the snickering shopkeeper's arms.

He pressed up against Kiuske's side, watching quietly as the young noble administered a pain block, then began the soothing infusion.

"You look kinda beat," Ichigo observed, looking up at Tetsuya's drawn face.

"W-well, the baby's reiatsu has been flaring or my spirit centers have been flaring. Then, there's Arashi, who collapsed in the rain and had to be brought into the shelter."

"Is he okay?" Ichigo asked quickly.

"Oh," Tetsuya chuckled, "he is fine...he and his twin foals."

"What? Twins? Really?" Ichigo mused, grinning, "Eh, how does that work, anyway? How'd you guys get the babies out? I mean, he's a boy horse, right?"

"He had them the same way I will have my child," Tetsuya explained, "The child I am having, and Arashi's foals remained in reiatsu form while they were developing. Our bodies formed a chamber that held the reiatsu and slowly matured it over several months. When it's time, like what happened with Arashi, my abdominal wall will lose cohesion to allow the reiatsu to exit my body. It is easier and less painful than the way women give birth, although we suffer many of the same uncomfortable side effects."

"Huh," Ichigo said, quieting and considering the explanation as Tetsuya finished the infusion, then politely excused himself.

"Did you go to sleep there?" Kisuke asked, kissing him on a ginger colored eyebrow.

"Naw, I was just thinking."

"Dangerous thing, that," Kisuke said, smirking, "You still thinking about marrying one of those clan girls?"

"No."

"Ichigo."

"I didn't say anything," the younger man said in a flustered tone, "I was just _thinking _about it, okay? I didn't _ask_ you to knock me up!"

"Good," Kisuke laughed, "because I probably couldn't manage it right now without killing myself!"

He leaned close and nipped at Ichigo's ear teasingly.

"Not that I wouldn't enjoy trying, Strawberry!"

Ichigo couldn't quite suppress a flustered laugh, despite the undercurrent of worry that still nagged at him.

"Don't you have to do something to some gene or other first?" the younger man asked, "That's what Tetsuya told me."

"Sound's like Byakuya's pretty little cousin's been playing matchmaker," Kisuke commented, "I don't know if I approve. He shouldn't be putting crazy ideas in your head."

"Tetsuya wasn't putting ideas in my head!" Ichigo insisted, a scowl coming onto his face, "He saw me with you and he could see that something was up. He'd connected with you and realized what I must have seen and just offered me some advice. He didn't do anything wrong."

"No, he didn't," Kisuke chuckled, "I was kidding, Ichigo. I'm kinda glad he said something."

"You are?" Ichigo asked, his eyes widening, "But, I thought that you were planning to come clean with me about how you felt about me after Tetsuya delivered...you know, so that you would know it was safe to..."

"Well, to be honest, I don't know if I would've gone through with it."

"What? Why not?"

"C'mon, Ichigo. You know why," the shopkeeper sighed, "I'm a shinigami with a few hundred years on you."

"Screw that," Ichigo snapped, "You know that doesn't matter. I'm an adult. You're an adult. There's nothing wrong with us being together."

"You think your dad would..."

"My old man doesn't make decisions for me, and you know that. You don't need to hold back because of what he'll think."

"But you're the Shiba heir now. You have a responsibility to your clan."

"You know what?" Ichigo said, his lips stiffening, "My _clan_ wouldn't have this heir if it weren't for you. So, they ought to be down on their knees, giving you whatever you want for the fact that I'm here and that we've had our status restored, because none of that would've happened without you. Just...let's not fight about this anymore, okay? You should be resting and getting up your strength."

"Yeah, you're right," Kisuke agreed, settling back and closing his eyes.

Ichigo cuddled closer to him and shut his eyes too. A moment later, he opened them again as a rumble of laughter went through the shopkeeper's reclined body.

"What's so funny?" he asked curiously.

"Heh, Arashi having twins," Kisuke chuckled, "I was just wondering if Tetsuya'd figured out that he's probably gonna have multiples too."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah, probably! Twins run in families, you know. And there are twins in Tetsuya's mom's side of the family."

"Whoa, wait! Karin and Yuzu are twins," Ichigo said, frowning, "Does that mean that..."

"Yeah," Kisuke laughed, "You'd have increased odds of having multiples, yourself. There's some twins in my family too."

"Really?" Ichigo asked, blinking.

"Uh-huh," the shopkeeper confirmed, "So, maybe you don't want to be so quick to want to start making babies with me."

"Well," Ichigo laughed, "Our elders _are_ pretty concerned with enough of us reproducing."

"I don't think they want their future leader to become a baby-making machine!"

"Yeah? Well, I don't think they're in a position to decide things like that for me," Ichigo said stubbornly, "I may be their heir, but they didn't raise me. They didn't scrape my almost dead body off the ground and put me back together, and they sure as hell weren't the ones who helped me grow strong enough to protect everyone. That was all you."

"Naw, you wanted it bad enough. You would've found a way, with or without me."

"But, the point is, I didn't," Ichigo insisted, "I had you, all along. You've been my best friend for a real long time now. And now, I want us to be more than friends."

The two looked up at the doorway as Arashi walked by, followed by one lovely paint foal and one that was zebra striped and had one blue eye and one brown one.

"Wh-what the hell _was_ that?" Ichigo mused.

"Oh," Kisuke snickered, "Even though the tykes are twins, it looks like they have different fathers."

"Uh..."

"One was the lovely and proud paint stallion, Byakuya's Ikazuchi, and one was that disaster on hooves that chose Renji, _Yakkaigoto_!"

"Renji has a spirit steed?"

"Yeah, kinda," laughed Kisuke, "He hasn't really mastered riding yet. Usually, the damned thing throws him off or runs away with him. Personally, I think he's pretty cute, myself. But Renji hates him...thinks he's a complete idiot."

"Well, he figured out how to make babies with Arashi," chuckled Ichigo.

"Well, it doesn't take brains so much is primal instinct," Kisuke said, shaking his head, "Continuance is a concern in any species."

"Yeah, I guess it is."

"Ichigo?"

"Hmmm?"

"Are you really considering having a kid with me?" Kisuke asked more softly.

"Well, the clan wants babies, right?" Ichigo said, snuggling closer to the shopkeeper, "and I'm not going to make babies with someone I don't love, so yeah, I'm thinking about it. Besides, it would make you happy, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, but..."

"Then, it would make me happy too."

Kisuke's eyes softened and met Ichigo's affectionately.

"You know, I ought to tell you you're crazy, and that you should get your ass back to your clan and make babies with whatever cute girl they choose for you. But I'm a selfish bastard, I guess. I really want to do this with you."

"That's not being selfish," Ichigo chided him, slipping a hand into his, "That's being honest."

"And I honestly love you, Ichigo."

"And I honestly love you too."


	4. A Moment Before Falling

**Chapter 4: A Moment Before Falling**

**(Sorry for not getting to shout outs this time. I'm off for a day at the lake and in a rush. I will catch up next chapter. Have a great day!)**

"Hey, Kisuke," a male voice called softly as a small kido light appeared in the chamber entrance.

"What is it, Renji?" Ichigo whispered sleepily, lifting his head off of the shopkeeper's shoulder and noting that the redhead was still in his nightclothes.

"It's Tetsuya. We think he's in labor. He's been real restless tonight, and he says he's having abdominal pains. We gave him a pain block like you told us to, but he's still real anxious."

"All right," Kisuke said, accepting Ichigo's arm and sitting up slowly, "Go back and you and Byakuya should give him an infusion, focusing around the perimeter of the spirit chamber."

"Gotcha," Renji said, starting to turn away, "Ichigo, do you have him or do you need some help?"

"I've got him. Just go ahead and get back to Tetsuya."

"Thanks!" the redhead answered, flash stepping away.

Ichigo watched Kisuke's face closely as he helped the shopkeeper out of bed and onto his feet. Kisuke caught his breath softly several times as he rose, but managed to get onto his feet and, leaning against Ichigo heavily, was able to manage several steps before teetering slightly and being swept up into the shinigami substitute's strong arms.

"Just take a load off, okay?" Ichigo chuckled, "I've got you."

"All right, thanks Ichigo," Kisuke sighed regretfully, resting his head on the Shiba heir's shoulder as Ichigo carried him to Byakuya's bedchamber.

The two heard soft panting as they entered, and found Byakuya and Renji kneeling on the bed alongside their pregnant spouse, infusing the younger noble's rounded belly with soothing reiatsu.

"I heard someone was causing some trouble here," Kisuke said cheerfully as Ichigo set him down at Tetsuya's bedside, "What's going on, Tetsuya-san?"

"I am not sure," the blue-eyed noble admitted, his voice shaking slightly, "Things have been progressing gradually, as you suspected they would, but after I went to sleep, I woke up again in a cold sweat and I can't stay warm."

"You do look feverish," Kisuke noted.

"I feel a burning that seems to be in all of my spirit centers. I can't summon any power."

"Hmmm, sounds like the spirit chamber may have shifted or just expanded into the area of your core spirit center and is wreaking havoc. Give me a sec, I'll see what I can do about that."

"Oh...arigatou!" Tetsuya sighed, shivering uncomfortably.

The shopkeeper leaned forward and examined him carefully, testing his spirit centers gently and frowning at Tetsuya's piqued reaction to each touch.

"Something's not right here," he mused.

He sent his reiatsu into the young noble's body, reading carefully the responses in each area, then quietly considering his findings.

"What is it?" Byakuya asked worriedly, "Are Tetsuya and the baby...?"

"Part of the issue is that we don't have _a _baby, but more than one," Kisuke explained, "Even though they are in reaitsu form and take up less space than a physical body, they do need a little more space as they mature."

"So...we're having twins and that's what's making him like this?"

"I sense at least four independent reiatsu signatures."

"Four babies!" Renji exclaimed, "Damn, we hit the jackpot, ne?"

"Yeah," Kisuke chuckled, "but the problem with that is that some of the reiatsu from the spirit chamber is escaping. In a single pregnancy, the amount would be negligible, but the additional reiatsus are impacting Tetsuya's spirit centers. I can't stop the leakage and it doesn't endanger the babies, but to quell the reaction in Tetsuya's body, I'll have to shut his spirit centers down until the birthing is over.

"B-but, I am supposed to infuse you at given intervals to hold back the poison in your systems!" Tetsuya objected, "You know the importance of me doing that. If you shut my spirit centers down..."

"What about Arashi?" Byakuya asked quickly, "He has Tetsuya's same abilities, ne?"

"He does," Kisuke agreed, "but he is still recovering from foaling and his reiatsu is in the basement. Just, don't worry about it. It's not like I'll die that much sooner being delayed a little. I will be all right waiting until Tetsuya's had time to recover. It'll be fine."

"I'm sorry," Tetsuya said penitently.

"Don't worry about it. It'll be all right. Just, let's get this under control, okay?"

Tetsuya laid still as Kisuke leaned over him, his forehead sweating slightly as he located Tetsuya's spirit centers, one by one, and carefully sealed them

"I left the core spirit center functioning at minimum capacity," Kisuke explained, "He needs some to function, but we shouldn't see such a strong reaction to the babies' reaitsu now."

"Why is it such a problem for Tetsuya's reiatsu and the babies' to touch?" Ichigo asked, "Why is there that kind of reaction?"

"Well, I'm just guessing here, but I think that it has to do with the fact that Tetsuya, despite being able to have babies is still male, and the male body wasn't really intended for childbirth. The same thing happens in rare cases in some females, where the body of the mother reacts as though the baby's reiatsu is a foreign thing in her body and her systems try to attack it. In Tetsuya's male body, that reaction could be more intense, because his body isn't wired for this the way a woman's is."

"But you say that the babies and Tetsuya will not be endangered?" asked Byakuya.

"The babies are protected by the spirit chamber," Kisuke assured him, "although Tetsuya is more vulnerable because there's nothing to shield him from the effects. But with his spirit centers shut down, he will not have that strong reaction. He'll be okay."

"I feel positively horrid," Tetsuya sighed.

"Sorry about that," Kisuke said sympathetically, "You should start feeling better soon, although it seems like your abdominal wall has almost lost enough cohesion to allow the reaitsu to begin passing through."

"You mean we're almost done?" Renji mused, "Thank kami. This is nerve wracking!"

"Heh, you think it's nerve wracking for you. What about poor Tetsuya?" Ichigo teased, "He's the one having the babies."

"Goodness, did you say there are going to be four?" Tetsuya asked, panting softly as another throb of pain flickered in his midsection, "I should have known I was in trouble when Arashi had two!"

"I counted four distinct reiatsus, but it doesn't preclude there being one or two I didn't sense."

"You mean, there could be six?" Renji exclaimed.

"It should be a multiple of two," Kisuke confirmed, "But don't worry, Tetsuya. You'll be okay. And Byakuya's got all kinds of staff here to help you guys take care of the little ones."

"But we're in a bunch of caves in the middle of nowhere until the manor is rebuilt," the younger noble objected.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay," Renji assured him, taking Tetsuya's hand in his larger, rougher one, "The caves are kido-warmed and we have comfortable beds. We have all of the supplies we need. We're actually better off than most of the Seireitei. Those quincies made a damned mess of everything!"

"They certainly did," Kisuke agreed, "But houses and things like that can be rebuilt. The important thing is that we're all still alive."

_Though, for how long? _Ichigo mused inwardly, _Kisuke..._

"Ah!" the shopkeeper said in a pleased tone, "See here, Tetsuya? You're transitioning."

"If by transitioning, you mean that I'm having hot flashes and feeling dizzy, then I suppose I am," Tetsuya said dryly.

"Sheesh," Ichigo chuckled, smiling at Renji, "I don't think I've ever seen Tetsuya in anything but a good mood. This is kinda cute."

"Are you making fun of me, Ichigo-san?" Tetsuya asked, frowning.

"No way," Ichigo laughed, "I'm just trying to distract you a little, to ease your nerves."

"Well, lay off him, baka," Renji said, scowling.

"Hey, take it easy," Ichigo chuckled, "You're in more of a snit than he is."

"Enough," Byakuya said, quelling the two with a disapproving glare.

The three quieted as the soft glow around Tetsuya's belly began to brighten. They watched in awe as the light grew and warmed gradually, until something even brighter appeared and began to emerge.

"This is it," Kisuke said, squeezing Tetsuya's hand, "The first one is emerging."

The shopkeeper extended his hands, infusing the area around the emerging reiatsu with his own, then coaxing the glowing cluster along.

"Keep breathing slowly," Kisuke said, keeping his eyes fixed on the cluster, "Relax and just let your body do what it needs to do."

Behind him, Torio and Koji entered the room and took up positions near the bed.

Kisuke smiled as the reiatsu cluster slowly rose upward and then dropped into his waiting hands. The gathered men watched intently as the light around the cluster flickered fitfully, then the reiatsu began to gradually resolve itself into the shape of a tiny infant.

"It looks like baby number one is a boy," Kisuke announced to the delighted parents, "Black hair, eyes kind of remind me of Renji's. He's got Tetsuya's lighter build and spirit centers on the level of Byakuya's. He looks to be perfectly healthy."

"Thank kami," panted Tetsuya, relaxing slightly as Koji moved forward and washed his face gently with a cool, wet cloth.

"He's so tiny, Renji mused, "There's barely a kid there!"

"I'm sure he'll grow," Kisuke said, smiling.

Kisuke set the firstborn in Byakuya's arms, then moved back to Tetsuya's side and leaned over him again as a second reiatsu emerged. All eyes watched as he captured it and held it close, watching with entranced eyes as the body began to resolve.

"Red hair, lots of it," he reported, "Pretty grey eyes like Byakuya's and a sturdier build like Renji's...and a girl. She'll be a tall girl, definitely a fighter type. Watch out. Good sized spirit centers. And she looks healthy too."

"Thank goodness," sighed Renji, accepting the little redhead into his arms and grinning down at her, "She's great, isn't she? She's going to get into all kinds of trouble, ne?"

"She certainly won't be pushed around, that's for sure," chuckled Kisuke.

He paused as Tetsuya gasped and made a guttural sound of pain.

"Hey, you all right, Tetsuya? What's going on? Describe it to me."

"It...burns and stings inside," Tetsuya managed, pausing and loosing another groan of discomfort, "It f-feels like too much pressure around the opening!"

"Hmmm," mused Kisuke, studying the area carefully, "It looks like babies three and four can't agree on who should go first, so they're trying to come through at the same time. I'm going to give you a stronger pain block, so you might pass out, but I'll help these guys through, no problem. All right?"

"Okay," Tetsuya managed weakly, sighing in relief as Koji washed the sweat off of his face and throat again.

"Urahara-san," Koji said softly, "You look awfully pale, sir. Would you like me to place the pain block? I am trained to heal Tetsuya-san."

"All right, kid, you're probably right that I shouldn't be doing that. Go ahead. And don't hold back. I don't want Tetsuya in any pain, understand?"

"Yes, Urahara-san," Koji said, moving closer to administer the pain block, then watching as Tetsuya gave another sigh of relief and closed his eyes.

"You still with me?" Kisuke asked, sliding his hands along Tetsuya's rounded belly, then wrapping his reiatsu around the two emerging clusters.

"Mmhmm," Tetsuya breathed sleepily.

"Good, I'll tell you when to open your eyes so you don't miss this."

"Mmhmm..."

"I don't want to tamper too much with them, so I'm going to both widen the passage and compress their reiatsu just slightly to bring them through."

"The compression won't hurt the babies?" Byakuya asked softly.

"No, it's just very slight. And the pain block will keep Tetsuya from feeling anything."

"Very well," Byakuya said reluctantly, "Do what you must."

Kisuke ran his hands around the opening, putting gentle pressure and stretching it as the two reiatsus pushed eagerly against it.

"Koji, can you hold the edges while I help them through?" the shopkeeper asked hastily.

"Yes, Urahara-san," the attendant agreed, placing his hands at the edges of the opening as Kisuke's touched the emerging reiatsus and his own reiatsu swirled around it.

"Okay, Tetsuya, open your eyes. Here they come."

Tetsuya managed a soft sigh of understanding and his eyes cracked open and struggled to focus.

The men held their collective breath as the two reiatsus emerged slowly through the opening together, neither relinquishing the claim to be the next born. Kisuke captured both together and Koji swiftly relieved him of one.

"One redhead and one with black hair," Kisuke sighed in a relieved tone, "both with big, adorable blue eyes. But be sure these two are going to wreak havoc on the Kuchiki clan and probably the Gotei 13 too. Good-sized spirit centers and it looks like there's a pretty strong connection between them. Wow, these two little princesses are going to give you pretty hell, I think, guys."

"But they are all healthy and that is the most important thing," Byakuya replied calmly, "Tetsuya, you are to be congratulated. Thank you for..."

The clan leader paused, noting that his cousin's eyes had closed again and that his breathing seemed much lighter and faster than before. Kisuke frowned and examined him quickly, then hissed a short command to Koji.

"Get Orihime now."

He shook Tetsuya gently.

"Come on, Tetsuya. Now's not the time to be sleeping. You want to see your babies, right?"

"What's going on?" Renji said, sounding alarmed, "Is he all right?"

"He's kind of shocky," Kisuke surmised, "This wasn't easy for his body to handle...wouldn't have been, even if there'd been only one. This..."

"He stopped breathing," Byakuya said in a low voice, immediately turning the child in his arms over to a newly arriving attendant, then moving to begin breathing for the younger man.

"Damn it!" Kisuke snapped in self-reproach, "I don't feel a pulse."

"I've got it!" Renji volunteered, handing the baby he was holding off to another attendant, while Kisuke handed the last off to a white-faced Torio.

Renji began alternating chest compressions with intermittent breaths being given by Byakuya.

"Come on," the redhead pleaded softly, "Come on, Tetsuya!"

They continued their efforts for just over a minute before they sensed a flare of power and Orihime's healing shield rose around Tetsuya as the girl ran into the room. The men in the room watched with guarded eyes as Orihime's healing power wrapped around Tetsuya's distressed body, infusing him with its golden light and slowly bringing his heartbeat and respirations back into a steady rhythm.

"He'll be all right now," the human girl informed them, "His body was just really stressed out, but I've got him more relaxed now. I think he'll be unconscious for awhile, but he'll recover."

"That is good news. Thank you," Byakuya said, gratefully, "Now, Urahara Kisuke, you should leave my cousin to Inoue's care and return to your chamber."

"I don't know..."

"Byakuya's right," Ichigo said, wrapping an arm around the shopkeeper and helping him stand, "I'll help you back to bed."

"Ah...all right."

The two walked back to Kisuke chamber in silence, each anxious inside about what the other was thinking. It wasn't until Ichigo laid the shopkeeper in bed and started to climb in after him that Kisuke stopped him.

"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked warily, "I'm going to warm you up and give you a little infusion."

"Before you do that, we need to talk."

"How about we talk while I take care of you?" Ichigo asked stubbornly.

"J-just wait, okay?" Kisuke insisted, "I think I need to be fair about this and just tell you. I'm not getting you pregnant, Ichigo."

"Wh-what? You mean, just because Tetsuya...?"

"Tetsuya is a natural born _breeder_! And even he had trouble with the delivery, which is among the reasons why messing with a person's genes is not a good idea."

"Look, I'm not worried about that happening to me. It'll be okay?"

"I'm not going there!" the shopkeeper shouted.

Ichigo sucked in a surprised breath, first at the outburst, then at the look of agony that crossed Kisuke's face.

"Are you all right? Do you need...?"

"N-no, I'll be fine," Kisuke said, shaking his head, "I just need to stay calm, because stress quickens the advance of the poison. Just, let's not talk about this right now, okay? I just...need to rest."

"All right," Ichigo said bracingly, "But I'm still gonna take care of you now."

He laid down and curled around the shopkeeper's body, his eyes widening as he realized Kisuke was trembling.

_This isn't illness._

_Kisuke is scared to death._

_But we'll get past this. I'm going to convince him somehow to go ahead with this!_


	5. Healing Love

**Chapter 5: Healing Love**

**(Augh! I can't...the feels I'm feeling today! I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm just all sappy and romantic inside. Must post and go on to another chapter bound to make me cry. Don't know why I get like this. I just do. Love you all, Spunky)**

"Wh-what is that? What's goin' on?" Kisuke whispered dazedly, his eyes opening and struggling to focus.

He made out two blurry faces, one that seemed to be Ichigo's and another that was also male, but more rounded.

"H-hachi?" Kisuke croaked, blinking, but only making his vision fuzzier.

"Please hold still, Urahara-san," the vizard cautioned him, "I am still infusing you."

"I-infusing me? Infusing me with what?" the shopkeeper asked dizzily.

"Hachi figured out a way to use a bit of Tetsuya's blood to make something to help hold back the poison a bit."

"It will not cure you, unfortunately," Hachi explained, "but it will hold back the poison while Tetsuya-san recovers from the birthing. We should only need to do this for a few days."

"Ah," Kisuke sighed as a measure of the discomfort in his body was relieved and his vision began to clear, "That does feel better."

He felt Ichigo's hand slide into his and a sleepy smile crawled across his face. The Shiba heir waited as the vizard finished the treatment, then cautioned Kisuke to rest and bid the two farewell. When they were alone again, he slid in under the blankets and snuggled close to the shopkeeper's still shaky body.

"Hachi and Inoue managed to finish healing up the last of your physical injuries," Ichigo said quietly, lacing their fingers together, "He told me that starting tomorrow, you should be up and around and eating pretty normally."

The Shiba heir sighed wearily and closed his eyes for a moment.

"They still can't stop the poison, but with the blood byproduct that Hachi made, and continued infusions, they figure you'll live longer. They can't really say how much longer, but..."

"Every bit counts, right?" Kisuke finished, seeking his lips for a warm kiss of reassurance, "I'm grateful for that...even though we can't..."

"Kisuke," Ichigo whispered, touching the other man's lips to stop him, "Hachi _also_ conferred with Tenjirou Kirinji."

"What?" Kisuke asked in a surprised tone, "He...?"

"He didn't come down here, because things are still hectic up there, but he did look over everything Hachi sent him, and he sent back some ingredients to help make the infusion for you as well as more information about why Tetsuya had problems. He was sure that if we follow the protocol he sent and..."

"Ichigo, please stop," Kisuke pleaded, "I said I can't take those kinds of chances with your life!"

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo complained, sitting up and scowling, "Aren't you the guy who _risked my life_ by awakening my shinigami powers in the first place? Then, you did it again to help me get to Hueco Mundo to rescue Inoue, and you did it again during the quincy war! Why was it okay for you to do that to help everyone else that mattered to me, but you won't let me help you? I thought you loved me!"

Kisuke held up his hands defensively, his face paling with effort.

"Whoa, take it easy! This isn't like those times, Ichigo," the shopkeeper insisted, "Each of those times, there was someone to save, someone who needed you..."

"Yeah?" Ichigo said stubbornly, "Well, this time, there's someone to save too."

"You can't save me, Ichigo," Kisuke said sadly, "I _know _you want to, but it's just not going to happen."

"I may not be able to save you, but there is a part of you I can save."

"Oh?" Kisuke said, shaking his head and lowering his eyes, "Ichigo you have to forget this, please."

"No way," the Shiba heir argued, his brown eyes flashing, "Kisuke, I am going to make sure that the child we want comes to life...and...that's something that I want more than anything!"

"Baka!" Kisuke complained, blinking against the tears that tried to form in his eyes, "You don't know what you're saying."

"Actually, I do," Ichigo said, wrapping his arms around the shopkeeper and kissing him warmly on the mouth, "I love you. And if you have to leave me, I want some part of you to stay with me. You know, after my mom died, my dad used to say he thanked kami that he had us kids. He couldn't save her, but he saved the reminder of what they felt for each other. I want to do that. Please, just stop telling me no, because it isn't going to do any good! I'm not going to listen to you, so you might as well help me to make this happen."

"Ichigo..."

"No, stop!" the younger man exclaimed, claiming the elder man's mouth forcefully, "I'm not going to let you take this away from us!"

"Ichigo!"

His words disappeared into a storm of desperate kisses as the Shiba heir's hands opened their clothing and he lifted himself carefully over Kisuke's recovering body. His hand slipped down to caress the shopkeeper's flushed and leaking member as the two continued their kissing and Ichigo positioned himself, then slowly joined their bodies.

"What are you doing?" Kisuke whispered, touching the younger man's lips and gazing deeply into his impassioned eyes, "We haven't even..."

"What I want to," Ichigo whispered back, "It doesn't matter that we can't make the baby yet. I want to show you how much I love you. Whatever happens, I don't want you to ever question how I feel about you again. I was so stupid that for the longest time, I just didn't get it. But this? You and me? It's everything to me. And I knew that even before I knew that what I felt for you was love!"

"I love you too," Kisuke said breathlessly, closing his eyes and starting to move with Ichigo, then freezing in place and catching his breath as the Shiba heir stopped him.

"Let me," Ichigo panted softly, moving his hips, "You're supposed to be resting, remember?"

"I don't think this counts as resting, even if you do most of the moving," Kisuke chuckled, breathing in more deeply and sinking into another long, penetrating kiss as the younger man rose and fell in a slow, steady motion atop him. For a time all words disappeared and all the two lovers could feel was the deep connection between their fast beating hearts. Kisuke ran his fingers through the younger man's hair, returning each hard, longing kiss, his gentle, amorous caresses making the Shiba heir sigh and strain harder to bring them both to completion. They climaxed together, Ichigo's arms anchoring the shopkeeper's shaking body, then his hands slowly soothing him into a peaceful sleep. And while he slept, Ichigo snuggled close, whispering into his ear.

"I'm not letting you go," he breathed softly, "We're going to be together. We're going to make the family you want, and whatever it takes, I'm going to find a way to save you. No one thought that I could save Rukia, when Central 46 sentenced her to death or that I could go to Hueco Mundo and take Inoue back from Aizen. They didn't think I could beat Aizen or that I could stop Juha Bach. But you always believed in me. You always helped me every step of the way. I need you to do that now too. Don't give up, Kisuke. If we all put our heads together. If we don't give up, I know we can save you."

"Stupid kid," Kisuke sighed, opening his eyes and looking defeatedly up into Ichigo's, "You start talking like that and I can't help but believe in you. And...I suppose that if you figure it's not impossible, then maybe we can find a way."

"Now you're talking like the Kisuke I remember!" Ichigo said, smiling and kissing him hungrily, "Does this mean that you'll help me get pregnant now too?"

Kisuke paused, placing his hands on the sides of the younger man's handsome face and shaking his head.

Just promise me," he said firmly, "Promise me right now that if the pregnancy puts you in danger, you'll let me protect your life first. That's the only way I'm doing this."

"All right, then," Ichigo agreed, "It's not going to happen, but if you ever have to choose, then I'll respect whatever decision you make."

"Okay. But I need some rest now. I need to let everything process in my head for a while."

"You need to _rest_ for a while," Ichigo insisted.

"This from the one who was assisting me in doing one of the most 'unrestful' things possible!" Kisuke chuckled.

"Just close your eyes," Ichigo cajoled him, nuzzling under his chin and settling comfortably alongside him, "Let everything go now and let's just be, okay? We don't get to relax so often, so let it all go and breathe quieter."

Kisuke didn't answer aloud, but his hand found Ichigo's and held on as the shopkeeper drifted off. Ichigo remained at his side, stroking his lover's fingertips and watching him closely until he was sure the shopkeeper was deeply asleep. Then, he left the bed and walked silently to the chamber where Byakuya and Renji laid on either side of their still unconscious spouse, caressing Tetsuya's limp fingers and talking to him softly but urgently, pleading with him to wake.

"He hasn't come to yet?" Ichigo asked softly, gazing down at Tetsuya's solemn sleeping face, "You guys must be pretty worried."

"Yeah," Renji admitted, "Hachi keeps reassuring us his vital signs are strong and even if he doesn't wake soon, the infusions Hachi uses Tetsuya's blood to create can take the place of some of the ones Tetsuya was giving Kisuke, so he won't have delays in his..."

"You guys know that's not what I'm worried about. I care a lot about Tetsuya. He's been through a lot, and Kisuke was determined to save him. I respect that."

"Thank you, Ichigo," Byakuya said quietly, "That is a comfort. But you look like there is something more that you desire from us."

"Yeah," Ichigo confessed, his heart pounding harder, "There is something. Byakuya, I know we're in a state of chaos still and things are difficult, but...the truth is that...I _really _want to marry Kisuke."

"You do?" Renji asked, his eyes tearing slightly at the thought, "Wow, Ichigo, that's great! I didn't know that it was like that between you two."

"Well, a situation like this really makes a guy stop and think about what's really going on. And the truth is that Kisuke and I have been close for a while. I just didn't realize what I was feeling until it was almost too late. I think we need to do this now. And I know that, because of my being the Shiba heir, we need an elder or a clan leader to officiate."

"You would like me to convince one of our elders to officiate?" Byakuya asked, tilting his head slightly.

"I want to ask _you_ to officiate," Ichigo corrected him, "After all, the whole situation with Rukia...you and I meeting...that all put me into Kisuke's orbit and gave us a beginning. You've become a good friend to me, and it would mean a lot if you would do this for us."

Byakuya started to answer, then paused as Tetsuya stirred softly and opened his eyes.

"Tetsuya!" Renji exclaimed softly, holding onto one of the younger Kuchiki's slender hand as Byakuya took the other and looked lovingly into Tetsuya's large, confused blue orbs.

"Wh-what happened?" Tetsuya whispered sleepily, "Are all of the...babies all right?"

"The kids are doing great," Renji assured him, tears leaking onto his face as he kissed their lover on the forehead. It's you who gave us a scare, though."

"I'm sorry," Tetsuya apologized, blinking slowly, then fixing his eyes on Ichigo, "I didn't mean to cause anyone any worry. I feel much better now. But...I want so much to see our babies. Can I see them?"

"Yes, of course. We will have them brought in for a short visit."

Byakuya turned his dark, expressive eyes onto Ichigo.

"And when that is done, if you are up to it, we will be attending a very special wedding ceremony."

XXXXXXXXXX

Kisuke felt life coming back into his resting body and was surprised by the presence of the lovely scent of wildflowers. He opened his eyes slowly, then blinked several times as his vision cleared. He had to look again to be sure he wasn't just dreaming what he was seeing.

His chamber overflowed with the flowers he had been smelling, mingled with ivy on the rock walls, strung across the ceiling, covering nearly every surface. A variety of pretty petals had been sprinkled onto his bed and a gentle tickle of falling sakura petals went on continuously as the shopkeeper struggled for words, then felt them disappear again.

He realized then that his yukata had been replaced with a formal kimono, olive green with a darker green pattern of leaves. Ichigo sat on the bed at his side, dressed in a striking dark red kimono with delicate flecks of black sewn in at the throat, wrists and lower edges. The shiba heir held a bouquet of wild lavender and wore a contented smile.

"Am I dreaming?" Kisuke asked, just to be sure, "Cause this is unreal..."

"This is our wedding day," Ichigo said softly, "And don't even think of telling me no, because I'm not taking no for an answer."

"Neither is anyone else here, I suppose," Kisuke chuckled, noting then the presence of Byakuya, Rukia Renji, a pleased looking Yoruichi, and poignantly, a pale, but smiling Tetsuya, who reclined in a soft, comfortable chair, holding their youngest baby against his shoulder, "Tetsuya, are you sure you're up to this? I didn't even know you were awake yet."

"I wouldn't miss this for anything!" Tetsuya answered, blinking back tears, "I am so glad for the two of you!"

"Wow, this is...really overwhelming," Kisuke mused breathlessly, "Even if I did want to refuse, I don't think I could."

He gave Ichigo a warm, appreciative look.

"Thank you. Thank you all. This is...amazing."

"Then, let's make it happen," Ichigo said, nodding to Byakuya.

The clan leader sat down beside the bed and carefully laid Ichigo's hand in Kisuke, then bound them together with the ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu.

"I haven't seen this for a while," Ichigo observed.

"It...wasn't sensible to have to keep repairing after every fight," Byakuya commented, "It is more for special ceremonies now."

The Kuchiki clan leader's deep voice intoned the traditional words of blessing, then Byakuya paused and gazed at the two for a moment.

"You may feel free to speak your promises or I can have you recite the more traditional ones, if you wish," he informed them.

"Kisuke, I can't even count the number of times you've been there for me, since that very first time when you picked my dying body up off the ground and healed me. But no, you were even there for my parents, before me. It seems like you've always been there, caring for me, one way or another. Now, I'm going to return the favor. I give my heart and my hand to you, and I promise that I will be there for you through everything. And whatever happens, I'll love you forever."

He accepted a gold ring from Byakuya and slipped it onto Kisuke's ring finger and waited as the shopkeeper collected himself.

"Ichigo, I don't know anymore if the truth is that I was there for you or just there to get you deeper into trouble. I feel like instead of protecting you, I always toss you straight into the flames. I feel like I'm doing that now, but I can't stop myself. Because no dream I ever had was better or more beautiful than this one, and no matter what my eventual fate, I'll love you forever too. I give my hand and my heart to you in marriage and vow to be there for you whenever you need me."

He accepted the second gold ring from Byakuya and slipped it onto Ichigo's ring finger.

Urahara Kisuke and Shiba Ichigo," Byakuya went on, "having taken your vows and made your promises to each other, I now pronounce you partners in life, bonded in love, and blessed by the noble houses. You may now exchange a kiss as the first gift of your new marriage."

Kisuke's lips smiled as they met an equally pleased Ichigo's. Their kiss was long and slow and poignant and ended with the Shiba heir's head coming to rest on Kisuke's shoulder. The two remained that way as Torio and Koji appeared, bearing a small, but beautifully decorated cake and two bottles of champagne. The ones gathered toasted the new couple, then shared the cake before leaving the newlyweds to consummate their marriage.

Their eyes wide open, they joined their bodies without hesitation, forgetting for a moment that they were still far from their homes, in a wartime shelter and not completely out of danger. Everything disappeared into the calm, perfect joining of their bodies and as Kisuke's essence filled his new husband's body, Ichigo breathed into his ear words that almost stopped his heart.

"Do you feel that?" Ichigo whispered, "That hum inside of us? That feeling of happiness?"

"Yeah, I do. It feels...wonderful," Kisuke answered, "Actually, it's better than wonderful. It's perfect, Ichigo...really couldn't be better."

"That," Ichigo whispered even more softly, "is because what you feel is the beginning of our future. You can feel it, right?"

He took Kisuke's hand and placed it on his naked belly, then smiled through a haze of happy tears.

"What are you telling me, Ichigo?" the shopkeeper said, hardly daring to imagine.

"Hachi found your notes on what you did for Tetsuya, Byakuya and Renji and he set things in motion. The truth is...we just made our baby."


	6. The Beginning Again

**Chapter 6: The Beginning Again**

**(Got a burst of inspiration from seeing my old ff friend ferler's name pop up. And just to let you Urahara/Ichigo fans know, I am in the midst of updating this, Mirror Flower, Water Moon, White Tower and Withering Vine. So, be ready for a windfall of Kisuke/Ichigo love stories! It's on the way. Love, Spunky)**

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Kisuke whispered, rubbing Ichigo's slim bare belly and unable to keep from smiling at the swell of busy reiatsu beneath his fingertips, "And once you decide something's going to happen a certain way, it usually does."

"Are you angry?" Ichigo asked solemnly, running his fingers through the still sweat dampened strands of the shopkeeper's mussed hair, "I probably shouldn't have sprung it on you like that, but I was scared that you'd keep trying to talk me out of it. I don't think it's a bad thing to want to make something good, even if there are still bad things to deal with. After my mom died, my dad told me that was the way they lived and he didn't regret it. He and my mom made the best of a bad situation and the result of them doing that was our family. I think our family is a really good thing. And I think the family that you and I are making is a good thing too."

"Yeah," Kisuke agreed, kissing the younger man warmly on the mouth, "it's a good thing. It's pretty damned selfish of me, but I can't have a single regret about it."

"Huh, the way we live, who has time for regrets?" Ichigo chuckled, nuzzling under the shopkeeper's chin and nipping at his soft throat.

"You've got a point there," Kisuke admitted, turning and rolling Ichigo onto his back.

He teased the Shiba heir's feisty lips, tasting and exploring his mouth slowly, then nuzzling his cheek and attacking the blushing flesh of his earlobe and throat. Ichigo's hands slid down the length of the elder man's back, his fingers curving around Kisuke's soft bottom and clenching slightly, encouraging his hips to move as they continued to exchange progressively more heated kisses. For a time, Kisuke forget the weakness in his body, the soft burning beneath his skin that seemed to count down the moments they had together, before their fears came to fruition. He focused solely on the affectionate brown eyes of his lover, meandering slowly down the length of his torso, then pausing to kiss and nuzzle the barely visible bump that was forming on his belly.

"It's weird how it's changing already," the Shiba heir noted, touching the area with his fingers as Kisuke continued his ministrations, laying tender kisses that followed the pathway of fine hairs down to his aroused nether region.

Ichigo smiled at the wickedly beautiful sensations the other man was causing and spread his legs wider, arching his back and moaning hungrily.

"Oh...oh man, that feels amazing!" he panted, pulling on the shopkeeper's yukata to bring him back to his lover's almost viciously biting mouth for a hard barrage of kisses.

The two struggled for a moment, then with a laugh, the elder man yielded, rolling onto his back and watching with narrowed, almost feverish eyes as Ichigo's mouth attacked his needy privates. Ichigo continued the heady stimulation until his lover was nearly breathless, then mounted him and rode more gently, looking down into Kisuke's grey eyes as their movements carried them over into a powerful, mutual climax. Ichigo remained, sitting astride Kisuke's resting body and keeping their eyes locked as they shared the deep pleasance of afterglow.

There didn't seem to be anymore words to say, so the two went quiet and Ichigo laid down along his new husband's side, lacing their fingers together and listening to the rain that was still falling steadily outside the caves. They drifted off to sleep, the pit-pat of raindrops and the whisper of wind lulling them into a dreamless slumber.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, how many children did I have again?" Tetsuya asked facetiously, holding the eldest in his arms and gazing down into the infant's bright, cinnamon-colored eyes, while Byakuya, Renji and Kuchiki Torio each held and fed one hungry daughter, "Can I really have had four?"

"Well, maybe it only counts as three," Renji chuckled, "seeing as three and four came out together and hate being separated!"

"They do have a very strong bond between them," Byakuya noted, tickling one of the two youngest daughters under the chin and smiling down at her affectionately.

"What I want to know is how we're going to name them all," mused Renji, "Got any ideas?"

"I think our son is following in the questionable footsteps of his fathers, being overly spirited and opinionated," Byakuya commented as the lad in Tetsuya's arms gave a loud squawk and grabbed excitedly at the bottle the blue-eyed noble was holding, "Kisho, perhaps?"

"That sounds appropriate," snickered Renji, "coming from us."

"I must agree," Tetsuya said, giving his feisty progeny a look of calm amusement.

"Kisho it is," Byakuya announced, glancing at their son proudly.

"What about this one?" Renji inquired, gazing down at the oldest female, whose fingers reached up to entangle themselves in the long strands of her father's red hair.

"She looks out for her sisters," Koji remembered, "She has to be picked up before them, because she won't tolerate them being taken from the room, where she can't see them."

"Minè?" Tetsuya suggested, "It means 'resolute protector.' I think it fits her."

"I agree," Byakuya said approvingly.

"Whew! Two down, two to go," Renji observed, "Now, what about those two?"

"Maybe, as they are so close, they ought to have names that work together like they do," Tetsuya suggested.

"Hmmm," Byakuya mused, considering.

Renji furrowed his brow, thinking hard and Tetsuya sighed, looking down at Kisho and pondering. Several minutes went by before Koji made a sound of discovery, bringing them out of their thoughts.

"Mitsu," he offered, indicating the girl in Torio's arms, "and Mirai. When you put the two names together, it means _light the future_."

Slow smiles spread over the other men's features and they nodded in agreement.

"Works for me," Renji announced, grinning.

"I like that also," Tetsuya agreed readily.

"Then, I think we have our children's names," Byakuya concluded, placing Mirai in Koji's arms, "I will make this known to the council of elders and we will make plans for their official naming ceremony."

"Don't they usually have a banquet and a ball in honor of that?" Renji inquired, looking around at the drab interior of the cave, "It'll be fun trying to pull that off in here."

"Oh, I imagine that the manor will be in a fit enough state and restocked by the time we make the official announcement. Although supplies are hard to come by, it shouldn't be long before we acquire what we need. And once we do and we are able to return to our homes, we will need something uplifting to bring back feelings of normality."

"Then, a banquet and ball will be just the thing," Renji affirmed.

"Yes."

"It's not so bad being here for now, though," said Tetsuya, rocking their son slowly and holding him against a warm shoulder, "Some supplies have come through, and we at least have enough medicine, blankets and food."

"And the company's great," Renji added, exchanging a warm kiss with Byakuya before the clan leader left the room.

"Renji, would you mind returning Kisho to the nursery?" Tetsuya asked, looking up at the redhead, "I need to continue Urahara-san's infusions."

"Already?" Renji mused with a look of concern as he gathered the tot into his free arm, "You haven't had much time to recover."

"I'm really fine," Tetsuya insisted, paling slightly as he stood, "And Urahara-san needs the infusions more than I need the rest. I promise I will rest after."

"I'll be here to make sure of that," Renji chuckled, "I might sneak in some cuddling while I'm at it, now that your body temperature is back to normal and you're not freezing the bedding."

"I don't think I'll get any sleep if you do that," Tetsuya replied, smirking.

The two men stiffened as the sound of the encampment's alarms began to wail. Renji offered Tetsuya a quick parting kiss and handed off the two babies to a pair of attendants who had just arrived to retrieve them. Tetsuya's heart throbbed painfully as he passed through the central cave, his eyes watching sadly as the able bodied clan members gathered and left to address the incoming threat. He forced his feet into motion again and made himself smile as he reached Kisuke's room and found him curled up comfortably and sleeping alongside his new husband.

"How is he?" Tetsuya asked softly, taking a seat next to the bed.

"He's pretty good, I think," Ichigo answered, running his fingers through his hair and scratching the back of his neck briefly, "The wedding really lifted his spirits, and I've never seen him happier than when I told him about the baby."

Ichigo glanced at the doorway as two more fighters ran by.

"What's going on?" he asked, an edge of worry in his voice.

"From what I heard, a group of quincies was sensed outside the barrier, and it seems they have discovered us. The barrier was tested in several places, then two of them began attacking it. But don't worry. There are plenty of fighters taking care of things."

"I can tell you're worried, Tetsuya," Ichigo chided him gently, "Don't try to bullshit me. What do you really think is going on?"

"The part about the group of quincies is true, but I am concerned with how they spread out. It almost seems like they are trying to..."

He paused, adrenaline firing through his body as a feminine scream sounded and an explosion ripped through the central cave.

"No!" the blue-eyed noble gasped, staring at the doorway, "They were causing a distraction to get someone inside!"

He started to come to his feet, then hesitated, looking back at Kisuke with a torn expression. A jolt went through the two young men as Kisuke's voice sounded.

"Go on, Tetsuya. Get out there and help them."

"But if I'm injured or...!" the young man began to object.

"If you don't go, a lot of defenseless people are going to die. Don't worry about me. Just go."

"I should go too," Ichigo said, starting to rise as Tetsuya flash stepped away.

He froze as Kisuke's hand wrapped around his arm, stopping him.

"Don't."

"But you just said..."

"Tetsuya has his full powers and is not carrying a child."

"But we need him to help you," Ichigo argued, "And besides, I'm not that far along. I can fight!"

"But you going out there should be a last resort. Stay here. Let Tetsuya defend them. He is a taichou level shinigami. He'll be all right."

Ichigo shivered as more explosions sounded outside the cave and the sounds of clashing swords and rounds of kido echoed inside.

"I hope they're okay," Ichigo said, watching the doorway closely.

"You're not used to letting other people do the fighting. I know," Kisuke said, touching his face gently and squeezing his hand, "But you are going to have to get used to it. You may come to regret having been in such a hurry to do this."

"No way," Ichigo said softly, snuggling closer to the shopkeeper and holding him tightly as the sounds of battle continued, "There's nothing wrong with trying to make something good happen while bad stuff is going on around us. I think we need the good things, so we don't start thinking the world's all bad."

Kisuke smiled.

"No world that has you in it can be all that bad," he replied, kissing the younger man amorously.

"Stop flirting with me. There's a battle going on out there!" Ichigo chided him.

The two men stiffened as running feet sounded in the corridor, outside their room and Tetsuya's voice sounded.

"Go! Take cover in the room over there. I will not let him through!"

Three young children scampered into the room, the elder boy holding the hands of two younger girls. They skidded to a stop, their widened, terrified eyes finding those of the men in the room.

"It's gonna be okay," Ichigo said, forcing his voice to remain calm, despite the sounds of clashing metal and small eruptions of Tetsuya's kido releases outside the doorway, "Come on over and get down behind the bed. We'll protect you."

"Ichigo," Kisuke said softly, "Get to the doorway. Get Tetsuya to use a waterform to position you behind the quincy. Wait until he attacks, then..."

"Got it!" Ichigo said, heading for the door.

"Don't...let him see you!"

"I won't!"

Ichigo crept to the door and crouched, peeking out and locating Tetsuya, where he stood a few feet away.

"You can't protect them from me," a male voice intoned, "Your skills are good, shinigami, but you shouldn't have let me trap you here in the corridor. Those waterforms are a unique and dangerous power, but I've destroyed the ones you set and you have no space to move around to set more. You are going to die!"

Tetsuya's sharp eye caught sight of Ichigo and he gave the Shiba heir a barely perceptible nod. He fired a volley of small kido blasts at the quincy and reached out to touch Ichigo, sending his power into the shinigami substitute and causing his body to become almost transparent.

_Tetsuya told me before that the waterforms he uses are hard to see, but can be spotted in bright light._

He smiled approvingly, noting that the small kido blasts Tetsuya had fired, had not only covered his use of a waterform, but had strategically destroyed the kido lamps along the corridor.

_I just have to slip past him and get behind him without him seeing me._

Tetsuya flash stepped forward, engaging the quincy, who laughed at him mockingly.

"You can't cut through my blut, fool! You were better off trying to keep your distance. You can't save those children anyway. I'll just kill all of you."

"I won't let you through!" Tetsuya cried, forcing the quincy back against the wall and giving Ichigo scant seconds to scuttle by before the enemy shifted and threw Tetsuya into the other wall of the corridor. He made a sound of surprise as Tetsuya's body impacted with the hard rock and burst into a heavy splash of water. The noble appeared, closer to the door he protected.

"That was a good move, but it is useless," the quincy asserted, "You were foolish in touching me, because you have allowed me to activate my ability."

"Your...?" Tetsuya breathed, stiffening as he realized that the muscles in the arm the quincy had touched refused to move and his nerveless fingers let go of his sword, allowing it to fall to the floor.

"Anything I touch becomes immobile," the quincy informed him, "You can, of course, use your other hand to pick up your sword, but you will only find that I have touched your sword and caused it to seal itself. You cannot use it anymore in this battle."

Tetsuya stared in dismay as the quincy moved forward, then glanced in the direction of the room where Kisuke and the children remained.

"You can't give ground, because you will bring me closer to that room, and you can't fight me without your abilities. Don't worry, I will make your death a quick one."

Tetsuya held the quincy's eyes in silence, watching as he came closer, then retrieving his blade with the hand that still functioned.

"It isn't going to help you," the quincy teased him, "but it is the only move you have. You are a brave man. But your bravery will not save you, nor the ones in that room."

The quincy raised his sword and closed in on the noble, then surged forward, wrapping his hand around the noble's blade and stabbing at him with his own weapon. A moment later, a sword exploded through the quincy's back and poked out through his chest. He shrieked in pain and fury, turning and throwing the Shiba heir back against the rock wall, where Ichigo struck hard and crashed to the floor.

"You will pay for that!" the quincy hissed, blood leaking from between his lips.

A moment later, he went still, staring at where Tetsuya's slender fingers had curled around the tip of the blade that impaled his foe.

"Touketsu Shima," Tetsuya panted softly, ice forming around his hand, then running along zangetsu's length and swelling inside the dying quincy's body, "It is not a sword release, but an innate ability that freezes an impaled enemy from the inside out. Consider it an act of mercy, as it will lessen your pain as you pass from life."

"B-bastard!" the quincy gasped, falling slowly to his knees, then collapsing onto the floor of the corridor.

Tetsuya stood for a moment, swallowing hard and working to slow the hard throbs of his heart, then he turned his eyes to where a recovering Ichigo was staggering to his feet. The Shiba heir retrieved his sword from the quincy's collapsed body, then moved quickly to Tetsuya's side.

"Are you all right?"

"I am fine. Thank you, Ichigo."

"Forget about it."

Tetsuya gave him a guilty look.

"I shouldn't have let you be put in harm's way. If anything had happened to you or..."

"Well, it didn't," Ichigo said firmly, "We're all okay. Let's just get back to Kisuke and give him that infusion."

They entered the bedroom, where the children had climbed onto the bed and were crying and shaking Kisuke's unresponsive body.

"Wake up, mister, please! Wake up!" the boy sobbed, "He won't wake up!"

Tetsuya flash stepped to Kisuke's side and examined him quickly, then began the infusion of staying reiatsu. His heart in his throat, Ichigo coaxed the children off of the bed and led them to another chamber, where a few women and more children were hiding. He left the tots in the women's care and returned to Kisuke's chamber, where Tetsuya remained leaned over the shopkeeper and infusing him.

"What's happening, Tetsuya?" he asked in a guarded tone.

"It wasn't good for his treatment to be delayed, even a little. I have been fastidious about making the infusions on time, but the battle cost him minutes he could not afford to lose."

"Is he going to wake up soon?" Ichigo asked worriedly.

"I think so...as soon as his body feels the effect of the infusion. But we cannot be late in his treatments anymore. It weakens him dangerously."

"Then, we won't let it happen again," Ichigo swore, slipping a hand into his husband's and kissing him on the cheek.

Kisuke stirred and groaned, then his eyelids fluttered and his eyes opened and looked up at the two younger men's worried faces.

"I'm okay," he assured them, "I'll be all right. I knew I would probably pass out and I tried to reassure the kids, but..."

"I took care of them," Ichigo assured him.

"And now we'll take care of you," Tetsuya added warmly.

Kisuke watched quietly as the noble finished the healing infusion, then left the room. He relaxed easily into Ichigo's arms as the Shiba heir joined him in the bed.

"You sure you're going to be okay?" Ichigo asked in a still worried tone.

"I'm not sure of anything," Kisuke confessed, "and I have to admit, it was scary starting to pass out and not knowing if I'd wake up."

"Kisuke..."

"It's okay. Any creature that knows it's dying is going to get scared sometimes. I'm no different."

"I'm scared too," Ichigo confessed, holding the other man more tightly, "but I know Hachi is trying his best to find an answer. And by tomorrow, you should be well enough to help him out. We're going to find an answer, okay?"

Kisuke bit back his considerable doubts and forced a nod of agreement.

"Okay," he said softly.

_I just hope I last long enough to see our baby._

_Just give me that and I won't ask for anymore._

_It'll be my last wish..._


End file.
